40'Z 



NEW ExMGLAND FARMER, 



JUKBIt, 1840. 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 



Boston, Wednesday, June 3, 1840. 



EiNCOUKAGEMENT TO AGRICULTURE IN MAS- 

 SACHUSETTS. 



It is often sneeringly askerf, wiint are llio encoiirjige- 

 ments to agriculture in Massscliuselts ? Her i;!imale is 

 cold ; her soil liard, and inucli of it sterile! and m)produc- 

 tive; and labor expewsive and difficult to be procured ; 

 and we have cornparalivrly no ini[i<;ral manures by 

 which an exhausted soil ma}- be rend<-red productive. 

 We admit all these disr.dvantnges ; and yet in spile of 

 them all we believe there are few situations where ag- 

 riculture aflbrds a more full compensation. We do not 

 propose logo largely into this subji^ct at this time ; and 

 we shall ihrow out only a few hints for otljers to work 

 up at their leisure : and suggiist sucli data as may af- 

 ford the groundwork ol sound inferences and conclu- 

 sions. 



We state wilb entire confidence, as we have stated on 

 other occasion.", and shall repeat it aijain and again, be- 

 cause we think It should not be forgotten, tlial there has 

 not come under our observation in any part of the Stale 

 a single agricultural improvement intellijejitly and skil- 

 fully conducted, where the returns have not been most 

 ample ; and in many cases the products of the two first 

 years succeeding the improvenrBiit, have more than re- 

 paid all the expenditure. The improvements to which 

 we refer, have been effected by removing stones from 

 land; by ditching and diaining ; by gravelling low 

 meadows; and by high cultivaiion and manuring. Some 

 of the most expensive improvements of this kind have 

 cost, in removing stone, for example, one hundred and 

 fifty dollars per acre ; and the land which previous to 

 the impiovement was deemed of little or no value, now 

 yields three tons of hay to the acre, and in a neighbor- 

 hood where this hay always commands the highest 

 price. Now estimating the hay at l.") dollars per ton, 

 the crop would proUuce i'> dollars. Allow half of tliis 

 sum for getting the hay and keeping the land in condi- 

 tion, and this will Ic.'ive $22 50 as the annual income of 

 the land ; and Ibis is the lawful interest of 375 dollars. 

 What more certain or what Letter slc.ck as an invest- 

 ment is to be found than this ? 



We lay it down as a sound, undeni:iblc position, that 

 there is not a single crop cultivated among us, if the 

 cultivation bo judicious and faithful, which does not re- 

 turn an ample profit. Crops which in ilefiance of all 

 propriety are planted on lauds not at all suited to llieir 

 growth, which are only half tilled, imperfectly or im- 

 properly manured, choked with weeds or injurud by 

 wetness, certainly are nol to he taken into the account 

 But those which are cultiv:.ted with sound judgmeiit 

 and fidelity, on a soil adapied to ihe nature of the crop, 

 and thoroughly prepared, never fail, with a propitious 

 season, to yield a fair profit. One of ihe most I'xpensive 

 crops cultivated among us is liidian corn. With good 

 cultivaiion it certainly is not difficult to get fifty bush- 

 els to the acre. Valuing ihisat 75 cents per bushel, the 

 return is $37 .50. Now iC we must buy all our manure 

 at an expensive rale f'r this crop, very likely it would 

 bring us in debt. But the fa m ought to produce its 

 own manure. Not charging the manure, theielbre, the 

 cultivation and harvesting arc not likely to exceed 311 or 

 25 dollars. But the balance which ninains afier tlie.^e 

 expenses are deducted is not the only profit accruing from 

 the crop. Tlie fodder from an acre id' corn yielding 50 

 bushels, if well cured, is fully equal for nlinost any 



stock, to a ton of the best hay ; and the manure applied 

 to the corn crop may be expected to yield its advanta- 

 ges to the land for at least three years after its applica- 

 tion. No crop, if it be well cultivaied, affords a better 

 preparation for a crop of wheat. Whit we have said 

 of corn applies to many other crops. If we take land 

 yielding but a ton of hay to the acre, and should value 

 this hay at ten dollars per ton, and allow half that sum 

 for getting the hay and keeping the laud in condition, 

 there will remain five dollars as the annual income of 

 this land. But in general such land wou'd not in any 

 part of the Slate, be valued at inure than thirty dollars 

 per acre; whereas at fifty dollars per acre, it would be 

 equal to a return often per cent, upon its V'llue. 



There is another fact in the casii, that in general, oth- 

 er ciicumstances being equal, the agricultural popula- 

 tion of Massachusetts are in respect to iheir pecuniary 

 condition, as well situated as any class in the communi- 

 ly. There are indeed many and painful exceptiims, 

 where farmers invoived in deM beyond the hope of ex- 

 trication, find themselves burdened by heavy mortgages, 

 and iheir estates gradually wasting away under the dis- 

 astrous accumulation of unpaid interest So, likewise, 

 it may be said of every other class in the comnuinity. 

 But such results are in general traceable to oilier causes 

 than their farms; to spccul.itioii in wild lands, in uiulti- 

 caulis trees, in factory stock, or some other departure 

 from their legitimate pursuits. In general such results 

 are not referrible to the cultivation of their farms, bin 

 to the neglect of cultivation ; and we may believe it 

 may be said, with perfect truth, that there is not a well 

 cultivated and well managed farm in the, Siale, which 

 does not \ ield a profitable return. 



In this case we seldom do justice to the farm. We 

 credit it with that only which we sell, without making 

 any allowance for that which we get and use from it. 

 Large families, even with moderate labor, are often sus- 

 tained from a farm without any credit being giv(«n to 

 the farm for their support. They have from it house 

 rent, fuel, milk, cheese, butter, <?'gga, poultrv, vegeta- 

 bles, fruit, bread, beef, pork, mutton, wool, and these in 

 no measured quantities; and \et though beyond this the 

 f^irm pays its taxes and the expense of its hiied labor, 

 these farmers will be incessantly complaining i.f the un- 

 profitableness of agriculture. 



We add in the last place, that there are inuumer.ible 

 instances scatleied all over the commonweallh, in its 

 most favored and in some of its least favored localities, 

 of men who have acquired by honest industry, sobriety 

 and frugality, by farming even in Massachusetts, not 

 only a competence but an independence; have brought 

 up largo families well : given them the best advcnlages 

 of education ; and ihough beginning life perhaps in debt, 

 and wilh nothing to depend on but their own hands, 

 have kept themselves without embarrassmeul, h.ive 

 maintained their families with iHsj)eclabili!y, have nx- 

 ercised a generous and unstinted hospitality, and have 

 enough to enable them to pass the evening of life with- 

 out fear or want. 



We leave these considerations .lo our readers, not die- 

 posed longer to lax their indulgence ; but shall ask leave 

 on some more conveniimt occasion lo resume and en 

 large upon the subject. H. C. 



BEKT SUGAR. 



Preparations are making in some parls of the connlrv 

 to go largely into the cultivation of beets for sugar. In 

 the neighborhood of Baltimore one genilemeii, it is said, 

 has sixty and anothei' eighty acres in beots for this pur- 

 pose. A gentleman liimiliar wilh the cultitivalion of 

 the cane and ihe manufacture ofsugar in Louisiana, says 



distinctly and emphatically from his own experiments, 

 having made 600 lbs. of beet sugar the last year, that he 

 has no d<iubt ihat the cultivation of beets for this pur- 

 pose in climates congenial lo it, will yield a larger profit 

 than the cane, taking into the account the value of the 

 material remaining for the feed of stock, and actunlly 

 more pounds of sugar to the acre. He thinks he has 

 made very imporiant impovements in the preparation 

 of the beet and the extraction of the saccharine matter; 

 and is in the process of ereciion of a large establishment 

 in the vicinily of Baltimore. H. C. 



SILK. 



The product of silk is spiritedly engagei! in in many 

 paris of the country ; and tlii< year will, in respect to 

 this matter, be prolific in most imperlant results. Vast 

 numbers of the mullicaulis have, in some situations been 

 thrown away from the impossibility of finding persons 

 who were willing to accept thern as a gift; but on the 

 other hand, many individuals who had large plantations 

 set out wilh no view lo the production of silk, but solely 

 with a view to speculation, from being unable to sell 

 their trees, have turned theirattention lo feeding worms. 

 We have no doubt, where cheap labor or that which 

 would otherwise be unproductive, can be obtained, the 

 production of silk will yield not only a fair hut an ample 

 profit, and make a valunble branch of husbandry even 

 in New England. I'erhaps in the end, affr the tender 

 trees becomn acclimated, or the mode of minnginglhem 

 is belter understood, our State will prove more favorable 

 than other parts of the country, as temperate or rather 

 cold l.ititudes are found to produce a better silk, and to 

 he more congenial lo the health of the worms than hot 

 climates. Extensive cocooneries are already in opera- 

 tion in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Districtof 

 Columbia, and Virginia, besides several in different 

 parts of Massachusetts May the best success attend 

 them. H. 0. 



Massncliusetts Horticnltural Society. 



KXHIBITIOS OF FLOWERS. 



Saturday, May SOth, 1840. 



.Valive Flowers, from Miss Dix, Dr Harris, and Mr 

 Parker. 



Bouiptets, from Messrs Jno. Hovey, R. Howe, Miss 

 Sumner, A Bovvditch, W. Kenrick, and S. Walker. 



Viola giandiflora, from A Bowditch, and S.Walker. 



Erica, veiitricosa t in fine order, fro.n Mr Eustis, Oak 

 Street, Boston. 



From William Kenrick, Iris, varieties large Blue, 

 Versicolor, Graminea, oi Grass-leaved, tall, blue, and 

 beautiful; Swertii, new and beautiful; Florentina, 

 \', hilB.— PfEonies, Moulan, P. Rubra, P. Carnea, P. Ro- 

 sea, and some other kinds. Laburnum or Golden Chain, 

 Yellow Flowering Horse Chestnut. Harrison's Double 

 Yellow Roses, Narcissus, Blue Tradescantia, London 

 Pride, Hemerocallis flava, or Yellow Day Lily, Purple 

 Beech, Wistaria Consequana, which bloomed this year 

 in a splendid mass, and is perfectly hardy in high and 

 elevated siiuations. 



For the Cominittee. 



S. WALKER, Chairman. 



Leaclied ashes are woiih at least six cents per bushel, 

 to incorporate into a gravellv soil ; and unleached are 

 worth four times as much as leached. Care should be 

 taken to mix unleached ashes with the soil. — Mbany 

 Cult. 



The comuiunieaiion of VV. B. shall have a place in 

 our next. 



